"The focus of Rolfing is to restore order and symmetry to the physical structure that was originally our birthright but lost." Dr. Ida P. Rolf
As infants we struggle to stand and walk upright. We learn by trial and error how to balance ourselves on our feet. How well we find our balance with gravity determines our postural "set," and that posture greatly affects our health and well-being throughout our lifetime.
Slouching actually requires more physical energy than standing and sitting erect because our muscles have to work to counteract the continuous downward pull of gravity. Poor posture also compresses our deep internal organs, causing them to function under stress. However, for most of us standing and sitting "straight" seems both "unnatural" and uncomfortable because old habits, injuries, and stresses have become "fixed" in our bodies muscular structure.
Structural Integration balances and aligns the body along a natural vertical axis by gradually stretching, lengthening and repositioning the fascia, restoring its normal length and flexibility. The practioner utilizes deep, gentle pressure to free the fascial restrictions. Chemically it is the collagen in the fascia that enables it to change. The practitioner utilizes the appropriate pressure and combines the clients breath and movement to free the shortened tissue.
The changes catalyzed by Structural Integration are not only permanent, they are ongoing and progressive. The body continues to integrate the work long after the series is complete. Structural Integration creates the potential for new patterns of movement which reinforce further integration.
Dr. Ida P. Rolf developed the art of Structural Integration (S.I.). After earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Columbia University she worked for 13 years at The Rockefeller Institute. She spent 50 years researching, developing and teaching S.I.. She was both fearless and compassionate in her quest to help humans become more balanced in the field of gravity.
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